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Front Squat vs Back for Quads?

I know both are different exercises that engage different muscles at a different rate, but when I train quads, is it wise to just do more sets of front squats or lower the sets for front and add back as well?. I train Hamstrings 2 days after this training session.

I will say that for someone with less experience, the front squat feels much more natural than the back squat. The back squat is a very complicated movement that takes years to master. Think about how many people you've seen that have bad form with a back squat...almost everyone without lots of experience. With the front squat, your upper body is forced to be upright, and your legs are forced to follow the correct path, unless you are not flexible enough. If you aren't flexible enough, your heels will come up and you will go on your toes, but this forces you to only take the depth as far as you can.

I always teach the front squat first when training new clients. I also use it when I would like to put more focus on the quads, because the movement does in fact put more stress on the quadriceps.

If you go with the front squat, work on flexibility and move up the weight. If you go with the back squat, perfect your form before going past 135lbs.

Depends on your foot position and how comftable you are, how do you feel? With front squats I feel it more in my abs and my glutes, with back squats i feel it in my whole lower body, i think front squats can work, but i feel back squats are dominant for overall lower body growth.

I know both are different exercises that engage different muscles at a different rate, but when I train quads, is it wise to just do more sets of front squats or lower the sets for front and add back as well?. I train Hamstrings 2 days after this training session.

Thanks.

Wait what do you mean "is it wise to just do more sets or lower? What I tend to preach to everyone is, if you can do more than 1 set to failure on squats, that means you didnt go to absolute failure your last set when you "assumed" you went to failure.

I believe that most athletes should have an A & B routine for just this reason...there are many movements out there that offer great benefit and so to swap A to B from one week to the next is a great way to insure that you get exposed to a wide variety of movements whithout compromising your global training philosophy.

I believe that most athletes should have an A & B routine for just this reason...there are many movements out there that offer great benefit and so to swap A to B from one week to the next is a great way to insure that you get exposed to a wide variety of movements whithout compromising your global training philosophy.

I believe that most athletes should have an A & B routine for just this reason...there are many movements out there that offer great benefit and so to swap A to B from one week to the next is a great way to insure that you get exposed to a wide variety of movements whithout compromising your global training philosophy.

Good luck

MACHINE

Agreed.

Both are excellent movments.

"Dont go ''changing things up''...........dont go worrying if your arms are not ''sore'' the next day............dont go weighing yourself every week to see if your getting bigger................STOP PLAYING FREAKING HEAD GAMES!!!!!!! Just get stronger!! If your getting stronger, your going to get bigger. Quit worrying about this crap if your doing this and that, move more freaking weight than you did last time............period!"
-Bosshogg

I actually prefer front squats for two reasons. 1 it bothers my shoulder (past injury i believe) to hold the bar behind my neck. 2 I feel more pressure on the quads with front squats, where as back " " squats I tend to feel it in my hams.

hamstrings are most of the time the neglected lower body muscle. do your back squats.

oh. the front squat may put more % of the bar weight on your quads, but the bar weight is normally much lower on it then with squats. if the limiting factor is holding the bar up and comfort, its not your best bet for muscle growth

hamstrings are most of the time the neglected lower body muscle. do your back squats.

oh. the front squat may put more % of the bar weight on your quads, but the bar weight is normally much lower on it then with squats. if the limiting factor is holding the bar up and comfort, its not your best bet for muscle growth

Never said I cared about quads more than hamstrings, was just asking which one is better for quads when I do quads (I train them separately).

Wait what do you mean "is it wise to just do more sets or lower? What I tend to preach to everyone is, if you can do more than 1 set to failure on squats, that means you didnt go to absolute failure your last set when you "assumed" you went to failure.

I'm a higher volume person, 1 set isn't enough for me no matter how hard I go. Just how my body works.

As most of us aim to get as big as we can, shouldn't total leg development be the primary concern? Who cares about your big quads when you turn to the side and you have half a leg.. Gluts Hams and Quads should all be thought out equally, Yeah you could probably build hams with stiff legs and curls but nothing is going to punish them more than a deep squat. I think the front does have its place but the back squat should be the center of any leg workout..
Just my two cents.

Passion, Consistency, Intensity, Discipline.

To elicit extreme results, you must take extreme measures - Evan Centopani

Stay humble, for even the bird that flies high must eventually come down to earth for water.

As most of us aim to get as big as we can, shouldn't total leg development be the primary concern? Who cares about your big quads when you turn to the side and you have half a leg.. Gluts Hams and Quads should all be thought out equally, Yeah you could probably build hams with stiff legs and curls but nothing is going to punish them more than a deep squat. I think the front does have its place but the back squat should be the center of any leg workout..
Just my two cents.

Yeah I get your point, it's valid in my case, whenever I do deep back squats, I feel it in my hams

Yeah I get your point, it's valid in my case, whenever I do deep back squats, I feel it in my hams

Yeah, I agree I also feel it in my hams - But you can't say your legs aint' thrashed after a couple good sets of back squats pushing to failure right? I think Evan Centopani put this the best, "If were going to do compound movement lets keep it a compound movement, and when it's time to do an isolation movement than we'll do an isolation movement, don't try and turn big compound movements into isolation exercises" Personally I would master the back squat and get really good form and get strong on it, center my workouts around it than move on to more later in the workout to more of a quad movement like hacks or fronts. Make sense ? But that is all up to you brother.

Passion, Consistency, Intensity, Discipline.

To elicit extreme results, you must take extreme measures - Evan Centopani

Stay humble, for even the bird that flies high must eventually come down to earth for water.

Yeah, I agree I also feel it in my hams - But you can't say your legs aint' thrashed after a couple good sets of back squats pushing to failure right? I think Evan Centopani put this the best, "If were going to do compound movement lets keep it a compound movement, and when it's time to do an isolation movement than we'll do an isolation movement, don't try and turn big compound movements into isolation exercises" Personally I would master the back squat and get really good form and get strong on it, center my workouts around it than move on to more later in the workout to more of a quad movement like hacks or fronts. Make sense ? But that is all up to you brother.

I'm sorry, but are you saying a Front Squat is an Isolated quad movement?

I think its really up to you. I have done both, but I typically prefer the back squats much more.

AKA TreeTrunkLegs

"I am the man responsible for who I am. When I look in the mirror each day, I stare my creator in the eyes. I am responsible for what I have and will become, I am accountable for what I will or will not accomplish. I believe in myself, I bow to no man and my only critic of any consequence has walked every mile of this journey in my size thirteens. " - G. Diesel

I try to leave my ego at the door when I do front squats. It's tougher for me to do big weight on those compared to back squats. I think both are important to do, but usually don't do em on the same leg day. I may train back squats for a couple weeks then throw in a week of fronts. Good luck bro.

Height: 5'9"
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"There's only two ways you can be beat.....if you Die or if you Quit.""Make it happen, watch it happen, or wonder what the hell happened."

I'm sorry, but are you saying a Front Squat is an Isolated quad movement?

Not at all, but what from most people here are saying a lot more stress is put on the quads and they feel more engaged, so what I was trying to say is why throw away such a great compound movement (back squat) when you could do the back squat than the later the front to focus more on the quads.

Passion, Consistency, Intensity, Discipline.

To elicit extreme results, you must take extreme measures - Evan Centopani

Stay humble, for even the bird that flies high must eventually come down to earth for water.